Detective Comics #32

Issue Details

Synopsis

ICARUS PART THREE Elena Aguila was murdered at Bruce Wayne's doorstep by way of a designer drug called Icarus. Batman has since taken the murder investigation to a dealer called Sumo, who was responsible for the disposal of Elena's car. Now, Batman is sifting the Gotham Harbor for that vehicle and the evidence it may contain. When he spots something, he makes an anonymous call to the Gotham City Police Department, who promptly fish the car out of the water, in addition to putting an end to the child-trafficking ring that Batman discovered while searching the area.   Upon discovering Sumo as well, with an injury that prevents him from speaking, Harvey Bullock realizes that he and Batman must be on the same case - and Batman is a step ahead. Knowing it was Batman who called in the tip, Harvey assumes Batman has left the evidence for them to find, in the form of the Wayne-Aguila contract papers left in the front seat. Suspiciously, Harvey checks the shipping manifest for the containers they found the children in and learns that one container is already missing. He suspects that whomever signed off on the shipments is somehow connected to Bruce Wayne.   Elsewhere, Annette Aguila sits on Pier 24, watching the sun rise, and curses the city she was dragged to by her mother. As far as she is concerned, Gotham City isn't worth saving. Batman disagrees. She warns him away, commenting that coming to her is a waste of his time. He disagrees again, noting that he can see that she's in a vulnerable place following her mother's death - and given the syringe he found on the dock behind her, he suspects she may be tempted to find ways to cope. He explains that he understands the feeling, and suggests that Annette may find some solace in the knowledge that her mother was working to make the world better than she found it. Annette remarks that she couldn't change what didn't want to be changed, and trying got her killed. Batman promises to find those responsible before leaving her alone.   At his apartment, Harvey Bullock takes care of his two cats as, he listens to his phone messages. One from his mother suggests that he hasn't called in a while. Another asks him to confirm a chemotherapy appointment for one of the cats. The last is a message from Maya who went through the shipping manifests and learned that each one o the smuggling containers was signed off on by a Wayne Industries VP named Jeb Lester. Hearing this, Harvey packs up and heads to Wayne Industries. Jeb Lester, meanwhile, is desperately gathering up the paper-trail that could point to him, but he is stopped by Bullock and his men before he can destroy it.   Batman uses the cell-tower logs to triangulate the source of calls from the phone he discovered in Elena's car. They were coming from the old Gotham Aquarium - which seems a bit on-the-nose to Alfred Pennyworth. Even so, it is indeed the hideout of The Squid, who is not pleased to learn of Batman's arrival, and blames his brother Jonny, whose indiscretions are piling up. Before Batman can locate the Squid, he is grabbed off his feet and dragged into one of the tanks by a real giant squid, and tangled in its tentacles.   Gleefully, Jonny films Batman's struggle with his phone, but is disappointed when Batman uses an electrical charge in his gloves to jolt the creature into loosening its grip. Then, he loosens his Utility Belt, and activates an explosive within it, causing the tank to rupture, and flood the aquarium. Batman nearly falls through the floor into the bay below, hanging on as best he can, while the Kings of the Sun biker gang arrives to meet with the Squid. Batman crawls to his feet just in time to see Holter shoot Squid in the chest, and enter a standoff with Jonny.